Rack for feeding-troughs.



W. A. MQGOLLOUGH.

RACK FOR FEEDING TROUGHS.

APPLIOATION FILED 00w. 10,1908.

933, 384, Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

WILLIAM A. MCCOLLOUGH, CF BURLINGTON, CQLORADO.

RACK roe rnnnrne-rnousns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909. Serial No. 457,441.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. McCoL- LoUon, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and resident of Burlington, Kit Carson countv,Colorado, have invented a new and usetul Rack for Feeding-Troughs, orwhich the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved feeding troughand rack, in which the trough is supported by the rack and wherein meansare provided for adjusting the openings whereby access is had to thetrough.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationor elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated by the accompanyingdrawing, in which i V Figure 1 is aperspective of the complete trough. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3is a cross-section on the indicated line 88 of Fig. 2. F t is an endelevation showing the same devices supported on legs.

In the construction of the device as shown, the numerals 10, 11, 12designate cross-bars arranged parallel with each other and suitablyspaced apart. Standards or frames 13, lat, 15 are arranged on andconnected to the bars 10, 11, 12 and rise therefrom. The lower endportions of the standards are fixed to end port-ions of the bars and thebody portions of said standards are curved downwardly so that they formframes of approximately semi circular shape and adapted to support atrough 16 semi-circular in cross-section. The trough 16 preferably ismade of galvanized iron closed at its ends and open at its top. Bars 16*are fixed to and extend beneath the trough. 16 and are hinged at one endby removable pins 16* to eyes 16* formed on the standards 13, A centralbar 16 on the trough maybe latched at one end to the standard 14 ifdesired.

A rack is provided and is formed of marginal bars 17, 18, an apex bar 19and partition bars 20, 21. The marginal bars 17, 18 are arrangedparallel with each other and in proximity to the edges of the trough 16.The apex bar 19 is located in a plane intermediate of and above themarginal bars 17, 18. The partition bars 20 are attached at their lowerends to the marginal bar 17 and at their upper ends to the apex bar 19,and are suitably spaced apart. The partition bars 21 are attached attheir lower ends to the marginal bars 18 and at their upper ends to theapex bar 19 and are suitably spaced apart. The partition bars 21 arearranged in staggered relations to the partition bars 20 so that theupper portions of the bars 21 are attached to the apex bar midway of thepoints of attachment of the bars 20 thereof. Folded portions of thestandards 13, 15 are bent outwardly to form eyes 13 15 and the lower endportions of two of the partition bars are bent outwardly to form eyes 20adjacent to and in alinement with the eyes on the standards, and bolts22 are mounted in said eyes and serve as hinge-pins to connect thestandards and partition bars. The bolts are removable and replaceablerelative to the eyes, thus providing means for removing and replacingthe rack relative to the supporting frame and trough when desired. Afolded portion of one of the standards 14 is bent outwardly adjacent onemargin of the trough 16 and an eye 21 is formed in the lower end portionof a partition bar 21 adjacent thereto. A ring 23 is mounted in the eye21 and is adapted to engage over and inclose the projecting portion ofthe standard 14, thus providing means for latching the rack to thesupporting frame and trough. Cross-bars 2a, are fixed to and connect theend portions of the marginal bars 17, 18 and yolres or arches 26, 27 arefixed to and rise from the central portions ofsaid cross-bars. Agate-bar 28 is mounted loosely with its end portion in the yolres orarches 27 and is secured at any desired elevation within the limits ofthe openings or the arches by bolts 29, 3O removably and replaceablymounted in one or another of the series of holes in the arches andextending through end portions of the gate-bar. Base-bars 33, 34: aremounted beneath and connect the cross-bars 10, 11, 12.

In practical use, the device as thus described preferably is employed infeeding swine, and the rack is latched by means of the rings 23 so thatit extends across the top of the trough as illustrated and limits theactions of the feeding swine. The gate-bar 28 is adjusted altitudinallyin respect of the size of the animals using the trough. For instance,when the trough is used to feed small animals, the gate-bar 28 is placedin contact with the cross-bars 24-, 25, and as the animals increase inheight and strength the gate-bar is raised to provide more room foraccess to the trough. At the same time the partition bars 20, 21 preventcrowding of the animals in respect of the single opening to the trough,and the staggered relations of said bars provide alternate openings onopposite sides of the trough, each adapted to accommodate one animal.End portions of the trough outside the cross-bars 24, 25 also may beused for feeding purposes. The rack may be tilted on the hinge-pins 22after releasing the ring 23 from the standard 14, and the trough may betilted on the hinge-pins 16 away from the supporting frame for emptyingor cleansing.

lVhen it is desired to employ the trough, supporting frame and rack justdescribed in feeding larger animals, such as sheep and calves, I preferto raise the device from the ground. Any suitable means may be employed,such as legs 31, 32 arranged in pairs, fixed to end portions of thecross-bars 10, 11, 12 and diverging outwardly at their lower ends. Thelegs 31, 32 may be detachably connected to the cross-bars so that theycan be removed when it is desired to employ the trough for feeding thesmaller animals.

I claim as my invention- 1. A feeding trough, comprising a supportingframe, a receptacle removably and replaceably mounted therein, a rackhinged at one side to said supporting frame and arched over saidreceptacle, means for latching the opposite side of said rack to saidsupporting frame, the rack composed of marginal bars, an apex bar andpartition bars connecting the same, the partition bars being arranged instaggered relations on opposite sides of the apex bar, cross bars on therack and a gate bar adj ustably mounted on said cross bars.

2. In a feeding trough, a supporting frame composed of horizontal bars,cross bars connecting the same, standards fixed to and curved upwardlyfrom said cross bars, eyes formed on end portions of some of saidstandards, a hook formed on an end portion of one of said standards, arack formed of marginal bars, an apex bar and partition bars connectingthe marginal and apex bars, eyes formed on some of said partition bars,bolts connecting said eyes to the eyes of the standards, an eye formedon another partition bar, a ring in the latter eye engaging the hook onthe standard, cross bars on the rack, a gate bar adjustably mounted onthe cross bars of the rack, and a trough removably and replaceablymounted within said standards beneath said rack, said trough formed withcurved supporting bars adapted to be hinged to some of said standardsopposite to the hinging of the rack to the standards and also providedwith a curved su porting bar adapted to be latched to one of saidstandards opposite to said ring.

3. In a feeding trough, a supporting frame, a trough mounted thereon, arack formed of marginal and apex bars and partition bars connecting thesame, crossbars connecting the marginal bars, arches on said cross-bars,and a gate-bar adjustably mounted in said arches.

4. In a feeding trough, a supporting frame, a trough hinged at one sideand latched at the opposite side to said frame, and a feeding rackhinged and latched to said frame and comprising marginal and apex bars,partition bars connecting the same and arranged in staggered relationson opposite sides of the apex bar, cross-bars connecting the marginalbars, arches on the cross-bars beneath the apex bar, and a gate-baradjustably mounted in said arches.

5. A feeding trough, comprising a supporting frame, legs on said frame,a trough on said frame, a rack hinged and latched to said frame, saidrack arching across the trough, arches on said rack beneath the apexthereof, and a gate-bar adjustably mounted in said archw.

6. A feeding trough, comprising a supporting frame, a trough hinged toone side of said frame, a rack hinged to the opposite side of said frameand arching over the trough, and a gate bar adjustably mounted withinand longitudinally of said rack.

Signed by me at Des Moines, Iowa, this twenty seventh day of August,1908.

XVILLIAM A. MCGOLLOUGH.

Witnesses WV. WV. FINK, S. 0. SWEET.

